'If were hit by a bus in the next hour, I’ve left it no better than where I found it.’ Doug Armstrong on Blues after Craig Berube firing

The Blues general manager spoke with the media on Wednesday morning, looking back on his time with the Blues in what could be the start of big changes after Berube’s firing.

“If I get fired in the next hour, or I get hit by a bus in the next hour, I don’t feel today I’ve left it any better than where I found it,” said Armstrong. “That’s an awful feeling.”

There’s currently no indication that Armstrong is on the verge of being fired. However, Berube’s departure could indicate that Armstrong is at the very least on the hot seat. The Blues find themselves off to middling 13-14-1 start and a point out of a playoff spot, but it it a somewhat disappointing showing for a Blues team that was looking to quickly retool in the summer and try to compete for a playoff spot.

Armstrong is technically correct in his analysis, as the Blues were coming off a 33-36-13 season in 2007-08 with a .482% points percentage when he was brought into the organization in the 2008 offseason as the director of player personnel, and this current Blues team is on pace for a 38-41-3 with a… .482% points percentage.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Armstrong had turned the Blues into a consistent contender for a majority of his tenure with the team. They made the postseason in 10 of the 13 seasons that Armstrong has been the GM, and won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2019. Since becoming the GM in 2010, only the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning have a higher points percentage than the Blues .610%.

The Blues will look to win their first game under interim head coach Drew Bannister and snap a four-game losing streak when they host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST.